Too late for a second chance? Not this time!
by Arysd
Summary: Shortly after beating Drew in the grand festival, she disappeared from contests. He eventually followed suit, not finding contests the same without her. Coordinators past and present are invited to a reunion/ball. What will happen? Contestshipping.
1. Chapter 1

Hey. This would be my first fic. I've been a member for what?.. Over a year and I finally now upload a fic?

Yep. Thanks to **Hitsugaya16 **for boosting my nonexistent confidence.

This story was originally going to be a oneshot. But then I realized I couldn't fit all of it one chapter without driving myself crazy. D;

Remember. This is my first fic. No flames. See any errors or typos, just point it out to me and it'll be fixed. :D

**Summary;**

_Shortly after beating Drew in the grand festival, she disappeared from contests. He eventually followed suit, not finding contests the same without her. Coordinators past and present are invited to a reunion/ball. What will happen? Contestshipping._

**Disclaimer;**

_Pokemon, the characters, locations, and various other items mentioned in this story do not belong to me, and belong to Satoshi Tajiri._

* * *

She had disappeared. After that last Grand Festival, he never saw her again. After a gruesome battle, she had won. Her Blaziken against his Roserade. Sure, she had a type advantage. But those two never let their battles end as the result of a type advantage. It didn't matter with those two. She beat him, which he was sure she could had done with any of her Pokemon considering how high her determination was, and proved she is a valuable rival.

He always knew that, but he knew she would have to prove it to herself. So he let her think he thought of her as an amateur to motivate her. But she was more than that to him, more than a rival that is. She was everything to him, but he never admitted it to anyone other than himself, and even then he was in denial. Even now, years later, he still wasn't sure what he was feeling. If it was friendship, a minuscule crush, or.. love.

Three years had passed. He was now 17 years old. He had grown much, but his hair and eyes would always be recognizable to his fans. She would be 17 now as well, but he wasn't sure if he would recognize her if she were to walk right by him. Had she changed? Or was she still the same old klutz? He knew he wanted the chance to find out, to see her again, to tell her about these feelings he's been having.. but would she be joined at the hip with some other guy by now? Surely she would. She was beautiful after all, there's no way she wouldn't have a boyfriend. Drew inwardly scowled at the thought. He felt a strange.. possessiveness over her. Only, he wasn't sure if he should, considering he hasn't been in her life for so long.

He briefly wondered why she left in the first place. Was she well in health and happiness? He had so many questions and so far no answers. He couldn't bring himself to pick up a phone, or go to the gym her family lives at. Surely a simple letter would suffix, but he still never sent one. Oh, don't get it wrong. He wrote plenty of letters. He just never sent any of them.

He was a coward. He is a coward. He's a pathetic coward that shouldn't have acted so crude and irresponsible. He let her slip through his hands, and now he was feeling the pain.

So. Luckily this story has a happy ending for the duo. But maybe I should explain further, right?

A reunion. A reunion was expected to reunite people from the past. So when Drew received a invitation to a reunion for Coordinators, more like a ball, it had nothing to do with the prospect of seeing May again.. right? Yeah, keep telling yourself that Drew. Actually, the chance to see May again, provided she accepted the invitation (Knowing she had to have gotten one given her status as a former champion), excited him. His face didn't show the glee he actually felt at that prospect, but it was there.

The ball, or reunion as it is, would be taking place in Slateport City. Talk about nostalgia. Drew had just less than two weeks to prepare for this grand event, though he wouldn't need all that time. His Flygon could surely get him there in a few hours, and his appearance? He didn't need to worry, he looked good no matter what. Drew believes he was born lucky with his dashing good looks and cool exterior. This is why it baffles him on how he did not get the girl.

"Sir, would you like a refill?" Drew jolted out of his reviver. He has lost himself in a place he has often thought about once again. The young man with odd colored hair now turned his attention to the waitress that was holding a hot pot of coffee to him. "Um, no. No thanks." He attempted to smile, to not come off as rude to this stranger that was serving him, and she just blushed. At this point Drew realized he had another admirer. The waitress, whose name tag revealed her name to be Sherry, had went off to take the order from a family of three that just walked in the door.

Taking noticed that the waitress continued to send glances at the famous Coordinator, he turned his attention onto the small cafe he was at. Just a small family owned cafe, though their desserts were widely known as amazingly delicious. The color scheme of said place was just a calm mix of neutral colors such as tan, beige, and browns. A bit of reds were thrown into the color scheme and seemed to really pop out and grab your eye.

Once Drew was done finishing his cup of coffee, he left leaving the money he owed and a small tip on the table. After a minute to decide where to head, he decided he would head for the hotel where all the guests invited to the reunion would be staying. He had arrived two days ago, and still had not seen a glimpse of what would be May Maple. Drew now realized that the ball would be this coming Saturday.

After entering the hotel, the calendar on the hotel's wall told him today was Wednesday. Just a few more days. He couldn't deny the nervous flutter in his chest. Just not knowing. Not knowing if it was too late to talk to May, or if she was even going to show up.

Now drawing his attention away from the wall, he looked at the lobby. Drew had noticed that as you walk in the double doors of the hotel, you're faced at a reception desk, and the lobby was placed behind it. The flooring from the entrance up to the reception desk had been tiled with a marble flooring. Eying his way up to the lobby, the navy blue carpet with gold accents was noticeable, with matching decor and furniture thrown around for the visitors comfort. A few, but not many, people lounged around the lobby. If he had to guess, he'd say most people were out enjoying the sunny afternoon and getting all hyped up for this ball. As he scanned the room he took note that Robert, the Hoenn champion from the year he first met May, was apparently flirting with a young lady Drew had never seen before. Probably a new comer that was invited for the promise she showed.

Before Drew could try and recognize anyone else, a voice shouted out to him. "Drew!" As he turned around, he was engulfed in a welcomed hug from a beautiful lady with locks of hair that could be described as peach. "Solidad.. I figured I'd run into you sooner or later." Drew let out a smirk, but Solidad knew behind the laid back expression, he was happy to see her. "Hmm. You figure you'll run into May.. hopefully sooner rather than later?" Solidad had this sly grin on her face, and Drew simply didn't like it. He decided to do the one thing he did best. Be Drew. Yep, that means he flipped his hair and let off a scoff. Though he didn't verbally deny it. At this point, he knew he couldn't.

Hearing a sigh, his attention once again fell on the woman standing next to him. "I.. ran into Harley." If anyone had been paying attention, they would have noticed Drew's face drain of color. "Why on Earth was he invited?" Solidad raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at the younger Coordinator. "You know full well that Harley won the Sinnoh Grand Festival. You never won one, and you were invited. Don't ask stupid questions." Drew had expected this. At this point, he considered it useless to mention that he hadn't entered any of the grand festivals after the Sinnoh one.

He could say he lost respect for the contest league after them handing the trophy over to Harley. Only, most people had assumed right when they said his break was the cause of May's break from contests. Back to the subject of Harley being invited, it was expected.. but not welcomed for Drew. Though Solidad, and anyone with full function of their brain, would be annoyed with the purple haired man in question, she still had a soft spot for Harley. 'Arceus knows why..'

After saying their goodbyes, for Solidad had to take a call on a videophone located near the reception desk, Drew decided to head outside and go for a walk along the beach with his Roserade. After exiting the double doors he released said Pokemon who glowed in the afternoon sun with content. After that, they were off.

* * *

Yep. Next chapter will most likely focus on May and what's she been doing, and her arrival to Slateport. Reviews and (hopefully) kind words would be much appreciated. c:


	2. Chapter 2

Time for chapter two. :D Like I said before, just an update on what May's been up to.

If the fact that not alot of talking between characters is going on here bugs you, that will change soon. I just had to get these first two chapters to explain what's been going on, and not alot of talking was needed for that. c:

I have to say thanks for the couple of reviews I got. Made me smile so much. ;D You guys rock.

* * *

A knock on her door. A knock on the bedroom door of a seventeen year old girl was all it took to make her peaceful slumber fade away. Mumbling an incoherent sentence that was suppose to sound like 'Come in' was heard from under the red covers the girl was once sprawled across peacefully asleep under. The girl's head now peaked from under the covers and you could tell she had long soft brown hair. Longer then one would remember her having, going past her shoulders a bit. She cautiously opened one eye, and instantly closed it due to the light seeping in through her curtains. But it was just enough time for us to see she had shiny sapphire eyes, that could make the coldest person melt. Once hearing the sleepy girl's mumble, a dark haired boy with glasses walked into her room.

One would say he's a couple years younger than the girl in the bed, and they would be right. "Hey.. May. Stop being lazy, you got mail!". The boy then shook the girl, now revealed as May Maple, in a not-so-gentle fashion, lighting a fire in her eyes. Shooting up from under her warm blankets, she proceeded to grab the irritating boy by his shirt collar and screamed threats at him. The only one really understandable, since her words were jumbled together from sleep and rage, would be "Max, get out of my room before I pound you into the ground!". Her brother, Max, had messed with his sister when she was tired enough to know she'd make good on her threat. Rushing out of the room, he let the letter addressed to Miss. May Maple fall on top of the bed. "..What's this?" was heard from her room following the sound of paper being ripped open and another piece of paper being hastily unfolded. "Hmm.."

She really wasn't sure if she was ready. After she beat Drew in the Johto grand festival, she took a break from Coordinating. One could even say she quit, considering the time taken off wasn't use to train her Pokemon new appeals. She had always planned on returning to be a Coordinator, to once again battle old rivals and make new ones. Time had gotten away from her, that or she was avoiding time it's self.

May hadn't planned to disappear without letting her rivals know, but she wasn't given alot of notice. Her father, Norman of the Petalburg gym, had a heart attack hours after his daughter claimed her spot as that year's grand festival champion. Naturally her mother blamed herself, saying she cooked too much fatty and greasy foods for her husband. Then the youngest child of Norman blamed himself for not helping out more around the gym. May secretly blamed herself, for chasing her dream and not being there at home with her family. After receiving news, as her father was still in Hoenn, she rushed to the hospital in Petalburg without word to anyone.

The Pokemon League sent their regards but also sent notice that if someone with enough experience couldn't take over the gym, it would be turned over to someone who could. Caroline hadn't had enough experience in Pokemon battling. Max was only twelve at the time, not having just enough qualification despite his early journeys and vast knowledge on battling. This left the eldest child, May. She was choosen as a suitable replacement, until her father had made a full recovery. May ended up taking over the Petalburg Gym for six months, while her father recovered. After the doctors cleared him, he resumed his position as Gym leader.

This left May to go on and continue her dream. As her father told her to head to a different region and do what she loved, guilt consumed her. She remembered how guilty she felt for not being there when her father had nearly lost his life. So she faked a smile and told him her dream had taken a detour. His eyes filled with happiness and he nodded, content and not doubting her words.

Not quite believing it, three years had past since she was in a contest. May's Pokemon dearly missed their trainer's cheerful smile and clumsy twirl whenever she entered a Contest, but they didn't say much. They didn't want her to feel obligated to enter a contest until she realized it was what she wanted. Her Pokemon got all the fresh air and love they always got, but the only battles they were in didn't take beauty and combination's into consideration. It's just.. not what they were trained to do or loved doing.

Caroline was concerned for her daughter. Her eyes were still shining as she did her chores around the house and gym, but that certain bounce in her step or the way she would hum had been long forgotten by anyone else. After delivering some clean and folded laundry to her daughter's room, she noticed a neatly folded piece of paper sticking out from a fancy looking envelope. Curious as to what was inside said envelope, she quickly removed the paper and let her eyes scan over it.

_"Dear May Maple,_

_The Contest League has arranged a reunion for fellow Coordinators to meet up and reacquaintance themselves with one another. You had made your mark and made yourself known in our eyes, therefor you are hereby invited. This event will take place two weeks after the date on the letter, and will be in Slateport City, Hoenn. We hope you do decide to come and bring your best ball gown, for there will be a formal ball included, though not required._

_-Raoul Contesta & Mr. Sukizo."_

The concerned mother now rushed out of her daughter's room, letter still in hand, to find her husband. The kind eyed woman soon found him feeding his Slaking. "Norman.. we should talk." Norman turned his body around to face his wife and his eyes drifted to the letter in her hand. "With that tone of voice.. I take it it's about May.. again?" It is true that Caroline had been ranting to her husband for the past couple years on the subject of their daughter's happiness. "Yes. I think you should read this." Unsure, he took the note from his wife's hand and read it. Soon after, they decided they would need to talk with their only daughter.

The almost-adult brunette sighed. How on Earth did she end up in front of a reception desk at a fancy looking hotel? That's right, her father had packed her bag and threw it outside. Then he had continued by pushing his daughter out the door, flashing the invitation infront of her face, and giving her a kiss on the forehead wishing her a fun and safe trip. Thinking back on it, May smiled. Having the chance to see _him_ again is something she had only really dreamed of. And well.. seeing Harley again was something she only had nightmares of. Her goal in mind: Look for a walking tree, avoid the cookie loving purple headed man.

After she had gone to Johto, Harley had beat her in her first contest, ultimately showing Harley that he didn't need to resort to working with low-lives like Team Rocket to get what he wanted. Solidad had been there too obviously, and she was always the reasonable one. Now that she thought about it, Solidad was probably the only one that could control and have some influence over Harley.

"Here's your room key, you'll be staying on the fourth floor in room 416." The lady behind the desk said. May grabbed the key being held out for her, smiled and nodded her thanks. Now the girl took the chance to look around, she found alot of familiar faces, along with some not so familiar ones. She saw Kelly, who she met and competed with in the Lilycove contest, talking to a boy she didn't recognize. A mild blush could be detected on the purple haired girl's face, hinting that this boy was probably flirting with her. May decided not to interrupt and settled to talk with her later.

May wasn't wearing her traveling clothes, or even her traditional bandanna these days, since any of her traveling clothes had since long outgrown her. She wore basic dark blue jeans, tight enough to not be called baggy, (but not too tight mind you.). A red tank-top followed suit, and a white short sleeved button up shirt over it, which she choose to leave unbuttoned. She wore just basic black flats on her feet to finish it off. A simple outfit that made her natural beauty show and was extremely comfortable. Remembering the belt she wore that held six Pokeballs, she decided that she would need to take a walk with them later and explain what's been going on. She may even try and come up with some new appeals, and the thought of that simply made something in her chest flutter.

Looking out the window, May knew it was still very early morning and the day was Wednesday. She had a few days before this ball, and had a dress being delivered to the hotel tomorrow. Knowing everything was settled and ready, she headed upstairs to her room to unpack and settle in.

* * *

Ta-da. Reviews would make me feel so much better on this cruddy hot/rainy/humid day. xD

I may have the next chapter up tomorrow, but might not since I'll be gone for most of the day at a family reunion. Fun, yes? 8D


	3. Chapter 3

I was prepared to upload this yesterday, but there was that 'technical glitch'. Whatever, it's working now. So here we go. :D

Thanks again for the reviews and support. (:

* * *

The alarm clock in room 416 rang, the sound floating through the room and into the ears of May Maple. Slowly getting up she quickly turned off the annoying alarm and rubbed her eyes of the sleep. Taking a glance at the now quiet clock, she was told it was 8am. Not much light had snuck it's way into this room, for the curtains were a dark red, blocking out the morning sun.

'Good. If I don't get an early start on retraining myself to be on the same level with all these other great Coordinators, I'll just procrastinate and avoid it.' Deciding that she should get up now and take a shower before she found an excuse not to, she entered the bathroom connected to her room.

It was just a bit above average of an ordinary bathroom you would find in a hotel. The only difference would be the obvious thought put into the color scheme and design.

May walked her way over to some clean towels that were set out and set it on the sink. Removing her pajama shorts and tank top, she turned on the hot water and stepped into the shower, letting it run over her body. After her body calmed, she rubbed some strawberry scented shampoo that she had grabbed on her way into the bathroom, and rubbed in through the strands of her hair. The scent floated through her nostrils and she smiled. It was her favorite, that's why she brought it from home. When she was sure that her hair was free of the soap, she continued onto conditioning her hair, rinsing, and exiting the shower. Wrapping the towel from the sink around her body, she went onto finish getting ready for the day.

In about thirty minutes the girl was out her hotel door, remembering her key, and down the stairs. "Miss Maple, you have a delivery." The same receptionist that gave her her room key yesterday called to her. May peeked over the lady's shoulder and saw a big brown bag, no doubt holding her dress for the ball. "Ah great! Can you maybe have someone send it up to my room?.." She requested, not wanting to get side tracked from her training. The receptionist nodded with a kind smile and May continued walking out of the hotel.

After walking for a bit and coming to a clearing surrounded by trees, she took each Pokeball off her belt and tossed them in the air with a huge grin. "Come on out everyone!" At the call of their trainer, six Pokemon materialized in a flash of red. May glanced at all the Pokemon surrounding her. She currently had her Beautifly, Blaziken, Venusaur, Glaceon, Wartortle, and Delcatty (Who had evolved during the time it was used in gym battles.). May's Munchlax had been left with Max, even though she wished she could have it with her.

Each Pokemon had greeted the girl infront of them in their own way, and was awaiting to find out what was happening. "Okay guys, It seems the contest league wanted to reunite Coordinators by throwing a reunion, and we've been invited!" May smiled at her Pokemon, her smile growing as they each showed a look of pure happiness.

A few moments passed and she decided now was the time to speak up. "Hey..", her sapphire eyes suddenly grew watery and she looked at the ground. "I'm sorry you guys.. I've been forcing you into battling challengers at the gym, and I've been so distant.." May wanted to continue but her Pokemon stopped her from talking, each of them surrounding her closer. Beautifly perched it's self on her head like it had in the past and hummed comforting sounds. "You.. You guys are the best!" Silently in her head, she resolved to never let anything like this happen again.

Having her Pokemon line up, she got ready to make some commands as she thought up some simple combination's. As May opened her mouth, she hesitated, only to be cut off by a voice behind her. "May.. it's been far too long." Hearing the friendly voice from a woman she considered a sister figure, for she could tell her anything, she turned around and ran into an embrace with her. "Solidad! I was hoping I'd see you here, see everyone here." Each took a step back and looked over the other.

"Yeah, I was hoping I would see you too." Solidad still had that soft confident voice she had three years ago. "Actually, I'm not the only one that was hoping you would come." May glanced at her companion and saw a sly look and a glint of something in her eyes appear. May's heart seemed to stop for a brief moment and didn't even need to ask what the older woman meant. "..Drew's here then?" Solidad held back a chuckle at her lovesick friend when she noticed the hope and nervousness in her voice. A nod and the blue eyed girl tried to mask her happiness, though it showed through her eyes.

Solidad, deciding May wasn't going to just poor her heart out and confess her obvious feelings for Drew, decided to ask May what had happened three years ago. "It's a long story.." May looked down and her companion understood it really was going to be a long story. "How about we go get something to eat, and you can tell me on the way?" Not being able to resist the offer of food, she found herself nodding her head. After returning her Pokemon, May proceeded to tell the tale of why she hadn't been seen in the Contest world since her win in Johto.

-

"Next time I'm invited to a reunion I'll lock myself in my room until the event is over." A well-known green haired and green eyed Coordinator mumbled to himself while walking hastily back to the hotel. He had decided to take another walk with his Roserade, since it really calmed him the day before. Only.. this time he was run down by tourists visiting the city wanting his autograph or a picture with him. Glancing over his outfit, there were a few rips on his black long sleeve shirt. When he was younger, his shirt didn't necessarily draw attention to his chest, now a shirt like this had fangirls trying to tear it off because of the teasing way it outlined his abs.

Storming through the glass doors and only stopping once he entered the lobby, he leaned over with his hands on his knees panting. 'Fangirls are going to bloody kill me.' He couldn't help find himself thinking. "Oh, Drew hun! I've been looking for you all day!" A shrill voice rang out, causing a few people to stop and take a moment to see what that noise was about. 'That's if I don't kill myself first to get away from this guy..'

"And why were you looking for me?" Drew didn't try to hide the annoyance on his face from Harley. "Because, silly! Our little happy family has been broken up for practically a lifetime!" Drew rolled his eyes at how over dramatic Harley could be, before he continued. "I saw Solidad yesterday.. but I haven't seen May yet." Harley's overly excited grin had turned to a frown by the end of his sentence. Drew didn't need this. He didn't need this at all, especially from him. "I haven't seen her either. Maybe she won't come." The green haired man then continued to walk away, trying to convince himself he didn't believe his own words. He convinced himself he only said that to burst Harley's bubble and that she would show. A overly exasperated cry was heard from where Drew had walked from, Harley no doubt.

The day was finally starting to become night, and most Coordinators had decided to go eat dinner in the dining room provided by the hotel. Some had already eaten and headed to their rooms or to visit and catch up with old friends they met on their journeys. Drew Hayden however, had an exhausting day and wanted it to be over. 'Maybe she won't come like I said. Or maybe I walked right by her and didn't even recognize her..'

Fears. Cocky, calm, arrogant Drew had them, everyone did. His fears were that it was too late for a second chance.

* * *

So, that wraps up Thursday. I'm not quite sure what I have planned for them to do in the next chapter, since I would rather not skip over a day just to get to the ball.

If you haven't guessed yet, they won't see each other till then. No one except Solidad has really seen or acknowledged May yet. I'm really enjoying writing this though. (:

Reviews would be nice. It's storming outside, a tree just fell across the street, it's hot, and I'm sick. So yeah. xD


	4. Chapter 4

Okay. So sorry for the wait for chapter four. D;

Alot had happened. From being sick, to painting and redecorating my bedroom. Then having my best friend, who I hadn't seen for almost a year, come stay with me for a few days. Then I had to get back in my routine and catch up with what I missed. On top of all that, I didn't even have this chapter planned out yet. So yeah. Things should definitely move along a little better now though.

I have to say thanks for all the reviews. The support is amazing. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't feeling major pressure now though. x; But that's the motivation I need to keep this up I guess.

Not sure how I feel about this chapter yet. Mostly just girl talk and bringing in a few minor characters from the anime. No Drew, but I figured that would be okay since he'll have a major part coming up. This being a Contestshipping story and all. xD

* * *

A young woman in room 416 had expected to wake up to the sound of an alarm clock like she had the day before. What she didn't expect was a phone call at 5am. Two hours before she planned to start her day. With an unpleasant groan to reflect her displeasure to being rudely woken up, she reached over to the nightstand next to her bed and felt for her cellphone. "This better be important.." May mumbled still mostly asleep. Not looking at the number displayed on her phone's screen, she pressed the talk button. "Hello..?"

Girl time. Catching up. That was the plan for the day. The plan that had been arranged by Solidad, who didn't give May a chance to object. Not that the blue-eyed girl in question was planning to object anyways. They had arranged to meet outside the front of the hotel, both of them still having to prepare for the day. Repeating the same routine as the day prior, May made her way down the stairs. Suddenly caught up with a rumble erupting from her stomach, May failed to notice a girl walking up the stairs. She only noticed when she collided with the girl and her view was obstructed by purple hair.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" The unnamed girl was about to go on with a jumbled and messy apology until she raised her head and looked at who she had ran into. "May!.. I really hoped I'd see you here." Curiosity and recognition in the girl's sweet and light voice caused May to raise her head too and a smile instantly lit up her face. "Kelly! I actually saw you yesterday, but you were talking to some guy.. I didn't want to interrupt." Remembering what had happened between herself and that guy, a blush rose across her cheeks. "Ah that. It was nothing." Standing up and holding out a hand for the girl still on the floor, May gave a look that said she clearly didn't believe her. "Riightt."

Both girls made their way down the stairs, even though Kelly was originally headed to her room on the second floor. Walking outside the two girls were greeted by Solidad, who patiently walked over to them. "Hey Solidad, is it okay if my friend Kelly tags along with us? I met her when I was still competing in Hoenn, and it would be great to catch up." May ordinarily didn't like to ask other people to tag along when somebody invited her somewhere, since she thought it was a bit rude. An exception seemed appropriate here though, and her thoughts were confirmed when Solidad nodded her head with a warm smile. "Of course. As long as she's hungry and likes shopping.."

Solidad's sentence faded off as she began to walk away. Confusion enveloped both girls as the older woman's words hit them. 'Food!' May's stomach was openly agreeing with the idea of breakfast as it grumbled then and there. Ignoring it, both girls yelled "Shopping?!" at the same time. May and Kelly ran to catch up with Solidad, who was already heading in the direction of a cafe.

Each of the three females were seated at a round table located towards the front of the cafe, right next to a big window. A woman in her early twenties with strawberry-blond hair walked over to them and was prepared to take their orders. "My name is Sherry, and I'll be your waitress today. Would you like to order now, or should I come back in a few minutes while you decide?.." May was quick to object to waiting any longer to eat. "No! I mean, I think we're ready to eat now." Noticing the humored looks on her friend's faces, she continued on with her order sheepishly. "I'll just have some chocolate-chip pancakes.. and ooh! A strawberry-banana smoothie." Letting her eyes leave the menu that were in her hands, she looked up at Sherry to see her writing the order down in a small notepad.

Solidad and Kelly had settled for coffee, the former taking hers black and the latter taking hers with two creams. Both also got a blueberry bagel, since they came with their orders of coffee for free in the breakfast hours. The waitress walked back to the kitchen, promising their orders would be ready soon.

"So May. I saw you compete in the Johto Grand Festival on television, congrats on the win by the way, but after that I didn't see you competing anymore." May acknowledged the congratulations from Kelly with a thanks, and decided to make a long story short. "My father, who you'll know as the gym leader of Petalburg, was hospitalized after a heart attack. I was called back home and had to take the gym over while he recovered." A short pause was followed as Kelly didn't really know quite what to say. The same waitress as before came out with the coffee and bagels, and the conversation quickly turned onto Kelly.

"But what about you? Are you still helping your mom out in the Pokeblock shop?" Solidad stayed quiet during this time. May and her were given the chance to catch up the day before, mostly talking about what it was like competing in Sinnoh among other things. She took this chance to listen in and get to know Kelly more, since she only knew that she was a talented Coordinator that competed when a contest came around to a town close by. (Saying that she didn't travel alot.) Also that she favored Physic type Pokemon.

"Actually, I have my own Pokeblock shop now." Glancing at May's face she decided to continue on. "Yeah. I opened it about.. fourteen months ago in Lilycove, only it's a bit farther from the Contest Hall than my mom's shop was. It started out really slow and I almost had to close it down a few times. But things really started to pick up in the last eight months. I was able to hire more workers, so now I even get to enter more contests." The look on Kelly's face showed that she really enjoyed what she was doing and that made both girls around her happy for her.

"I'm so happy for you Kelly! You actually accomplished what you said you would do." Saying that made Kelly realize that May also did what she said she would do, winning a Grand Festival and becoming a top Coordinator. Opening her mouth to mention it, she was once again interrupted by Sherry bringing over May's pancakes. Taking this as her cue to forget what she was going to say, she just kept her mouth closed.

All three of them excited the cafe a short time later, and headed towards a few shops that were lined up along farther down the street. "I still need to get a dress before tomorrow. All of my other dresses had long outgrown me. What about you two?" Solidad simply replied to Kelly that she had bought one when she arrived here in Slateport. "I had one delivered from home. But I do need to find some shoes to go with it.." May trailed off. She actually hadn't thought of shoes at all. Probably wouldn't have even realized it until she had her dress on and was about to walk out the door. The pink haired woman winked. "This is why I said you better like shopping."

Hopping from store to store, Kelly had quickly found a dress that all three girls had agreed best suited her. Not wanting to carry the dress around as they continued shopping, she arranged to pick it up before the shop closed that night. The girls were now looking for a store that would carry formal shoes for May and Kelly. Along the way, a comfortable but boring silence overcame them. Wanting to break it, May opened her mouth.

"So Kelly. We never did finish our conversation about that guy you were flirting with." Just as suspected, a small blush once again found its way to her face. Trying to sound innocent Kelly tried to deny the accusations. "I wasn't flirting with him. We were just talking." Rolling her eyes, May continued to try and find out more about this guy. "Okay, whatever you say. So then you surely got his name, right?" Solidad had spotted a shop that seemed to have exactly what they were looking for, and guided her companions in that direction while they talked.

"Yeah, of course. His name is Timmy Grimm." Shrugging, Kelly held the door open for them to enter the shop. "Woah. Woah. Hold on!" Startled by May's outburst, both girls ahead of her halted with questioning faces. "Timmy Grimm? I know a Timmy Grim. But wow, I didn't recognize him.." Muttering the last part to her self, she put a finger to her chin in a thoughtful pose. May only recognized him now that she had a name to the face. Kelly with a shocked, but not displeased, face walked in front of May. "Really? If you didn't recognize him, I take it you met him back when you started your journey?"

Carrying on with this conversation, both girls searched through the displays of shoes. Solidad helping out Kelly, since only May knew what her dress looked like. "Yeah. I met him back in Hoenn. He was competing under the name of 'The Phantom'." Seeing the clearly confused look on her friend's face, she decided to explain. "His mom didn't like Pokemon at all, forbidding he owned any of his own. She wanted him to study hard and be successful in a job that didn't involve Pokemon. But he really wanted to compete, and he even had a Dusclops without his mother knowing. To be able to compete, he wore a mask and used that name.. Anyways. Too make a longer story short; We faced off in the finals of the contest, and after a close battle, I won. But that didn't matter, because him mom saw how happy he was and she accepted his choices."

Both girls smiled at the story. May smiling at the memories of competing in contests and meeting new friends, and Kelly smiling since she now had a better understanding of the handsome young man that she had taken a quick interest in. What she had kept to herself though, was that Timmy had been not only flirting with her, but invited her to go to the ball with him. Seeing no reason to bring that up, since the conversation had faded away and all girls were now looking at shoes, she kept quiet.

Exiting the shop, they all headed back to the hotel. Kelly couldn't decide between two pairs of shoes, so Solidad had picked for her. Neither of them had seen what shoes May had purchased, her having claimed she wanted it all to stay a surprise until the next day. Whether May herself knew it or not, it was obvious to her friends that May had planned to keep it a surprise not from them, but from _Drew_.

It was only mid afternoon, but each girl decided to split to do her own thing. Solidad had briefly said something about finding Harley and keeping an eye on him. Kelly walked up the stairs with May, leaving for her room once they hit the second floor. Once she found herself on her floor and at her room, she dropped her own bag with her newly purchased shoes in her room, then left to the same clearing she had been in with her Pokemon yesterday.

Releasing her Pokemon from their Pokeballs once again, she decided the best place to start would be going over some appeals they used in the past. Hoping it would all come back to them and they would find their rhythm, she planned to try and come up with some new appeals and combination's before she headed back inside for the night.

* * *

So that's it. It's my longest chapter, though it's still not long by many standards. Don't expect me to write longer chapters, because this is the amount I'm comfortable with. c:

As for the Kelly/Timmy? I have no idea. I really liked Kelly's character, and there weren't alot of (single) male Coordinators actually. It could be cute though. If you don't like the idea, oh well. Because it's definitely not going to be a huge part here and shouldn't be in the way of the main idea. I just really needed something to talk about this chapter and stuff. D; I couldn't find anywhere to really bring up Drew, but the Contestshipping will only increase.

Also. I need your opinions on something. Should I add Coordinators from D/P? Like Dawn, Kenny, Zoey, Nando, ect. Does it matter to you, will it bother you if I don't add them? Let me know. c:

Reviews help me, they really do.


	5. Chapter 5

Oh. _Wow._ All the reviews, favorites, story alerts, everything. It's amazing you guys. Thank you all so much. It's your support that really makes me get these chapters written and posted for you.

Most of you said you didn't mind or care if some of the Sinnoh Coordinators were added, and then others said it was reasonable to add them. So I did. I've seen and I watch all the Sinnoh episodes, but I don't really connect to their characters as much as I did to the Advanced Generation. So if they're out of character at all.. I apologize.

* * *

It was early, but he had been awake for a hour already. Drew was left to wander around Slateport, the sun just now rising as proof of a new day. He knew, all too well, that today was the day of the ball. It wasn't till later that night, but he wanted to get some fresh air now. It was all painfully obvious that he wouldn't be able to leave his hotel room without numerous girls trying to get him to invite them to the ball, since they could only go if being escorted by a Coordinator with an invitation. They just wanted an excuse to dress up and look pretty, maybe get their picture taken and be known as the girl Drew asked to a formal event.

'There's only one girl I want on my arm tonight.' Keeping his mind from straying to his fears; his worries that she wasn't here or even coming, he kept them on fond thoughts of what this night could lead to. He may have been cocky, arrogant, and full of himself, but he was by no means stupid. It became real clear, especially towards the end of their separate journeys in Johto, that they both were very aware of what was between them.

He guessed she didn't think he had any interest in her - which she would have been so very wrong about. Or maybe she was afraid to even give it a chance. _Give them_ a chance. For Drew though, he was just a young teenager. Didn't have a clue what to do about what he was feeling, so he just ignored those urges to give her a rose and say it was for her. "Roses for her Beautifly? _Seriously?_" Though the irritation for his own cowardliness was obvious, he still felt rather amused by that old excuse. "But she still believed it." Drew continued to reminisce and smile at nothing in particular as he finished his walk. He wouldn't need to do much till later that night, since his tux was all ready to go and was hanging in his closet.

What Drew didn't know, was that May knew that he never gave those roses to her Pokemon. She may have been dense by many people's standards, but she was pretty sure no one gave roses to their rival's Pokemon. May Maple was now once again waking up, same method as she did most days - an alarm clock. She found herself waking up happier than she usually did. It wasn't because she had more sleep that usual. Actually, she had less sleep that she was use to getting these past few years. She understood her unusual cheerful mood in this early morning was cause of the training she and her Pokemon did the night before.

After a few failed attempts, her Pokemon and her were able to get back into the rhythm and swing of things. People would probably compare it to how you never forget how to ride a bicycle. May was confident, more confident in herself and her Pokemon than she had been since Johto. In fact, she was positive she would pick a new region to travel to after this season's contests started. With this new vigor and excitement running through her, she decided to run down to the second floor and see if Kelly wanted to hang out until it was time to get ready for the night.

Finding herself standing infront of her friend's door, she did not receive a response from the purple haired girl. Frowning, she decided to move on down to the lobby in hopes of maybe finding her there. Scanning over the more than usual crowded room, she didn't see one strand of purple hair. What she did see however, wasn't a total disappointment. Staring at the back of a head with blue hair, she realized this girl wasn't much younger than her. Maybe only a year younger, actually. It wasn't just the close age that drew May to this girl, but it was the fact that she knew this girl. "Dawn?!"

With a blink of an eye, the girl called Dawn was now facing May. "May! I was hoping we'd meet again here." Both girls were then hugging each other and pulling away at arm length to check the other out. "Heh.. I've been getting that alot actually.." May remembering her first meeting up with Solidad, and then Kelly, realized how similar each of their greetings were. "I'd imagine so. I guess that's what happens when you seem to drop off the face of the planet." Not letting guilt for her own selfishness return, May just nodded and gave her friend a sad smile.

"But.." Dawn continued, "That doesn't matter now. I mean. Here we are, together, and with a ball to get ready for!" May giggled. Of course, leave it to Dawn to remind her of what laid ahead for the night. "So you seem excited for the ball. Got a date?" May was really curious. Last time they had seen each other, at the Wallace Cup, Dawn had only briefly mentioned two guys. One being a trainer named Paul, who she seemed to actually truly hate but still felt the need to talk about. The other was Kenny, who was also a Coordinator. She had told her that they were childhood friends, and friendly rivals. Zoey had whispered a bit later that night that she thought Kenny had a crush on Dawn, but wasn't sure of how their friend felt. Speaking of Zoey, she wondered if she had been invited. She settled to ask Dawn later.

"Actually, yeah. I got a date. I had to ask him though. BUT he said yes!" This didn't surprise May all that much. Dawn seemed like a loud and outspoken girl, one that wouldn't be too shy to ask a guy to accompany her to a event. She opened her mouth to ask Dawn who this mystery guy was, but Dawn cut her off knowing what she was going to say. "You'll just have to wait to see who he is." A pout was all it took from the brunette to send her friend into a fit of giggles. "I've missed you May."

Still not knowing where Kelly was, May asked Dawn if she would like to hang out and get ready together. After agreeing, both girls started their walk to the fourth floor. "So May, do you have a date?" Dawn had hoped to be able to pry some information about May's love life, since May didn't get any about hers. "Actually, no." May saw the frown that instantly replaced Dawn's smirk, and she smiled in triumph. "So you're going alone?" May shook her head as she unlocked her door. "I didn't say that. I'm actually hoping to meet a certain person there." Letting Dawn enter her room first, she closed the door behind her and flipped on the light switch next to the door. "Well then who-" This time, May cut Dawn off. "You'll just have to wait and see." She mocked.

Dawn, who had her bags with her since she had only just gotten her room number right when May had approached her, unloaded her make-up bag and other various tools; including a curling iron and hair straightener. May figured Dawn hadn't decided how she wanted to style her hair yet. May sat down on her bed and Dawn soon joined her. They didn't need to get ready for awhile, so they figured that catching up was in order. May was surprised that Dawn hadn't asked her her reason for 'dropping off the face of the planet', but thinking about it, she figured it really didn't matter now. She was here, and that was that.

"Dawn, I just remembered. Is Zoey here too?" Dawn, who had been taking the chance to scan the room, looked over to the other girl on the bed eagerly. "Yes actually. We keep in contact alot, and she left me a message saying that she arrived this morning. I saw her in the lobby, and we agreed to see each other tonight. I didn't get to ask her if she had a date though.." Dawn seemed to suddenly feel stumped at how she had forgotten to ask something so relevant, considering the ball was that night.

Dawn was snapped out of her own self-pity party when May asked her something else. "What about anyone else you know? Like Kenny. Or any of your other rivals?.." Pondering over who she knew was coming, and who she had seen, she looked back at May. "Kenny got an invitation, and I know he'll be here.. if he isn't already, that is. I know Nando is here, I saw him in the lobby too." The name had sparked something in May's mind. Nando. Nando.. Oh right! "Nando, as in the guy who beat you in the quarterfinals and won the first Grand Festival you entered?" Dawn nodded, but never once did her smile leave her face. Clearly she had learned losing was a part of being a Coordinator. "Right. So you saw it?" With a nod from her friend, Dawn decided to take a look at the alarm clock on the bedside table.

"The ball starts in three hours. Should we-" Being cut off for the second time that day, Dawn's sentence faded off as a knock sounded on May's door. "Hold on!" May called at the door, then looked at Dawn. "Hold that thought." Getting off her bed, she shuffled across the room to her door and opened it. "Kelly, Solidad." May acknowledged both the girls at the door, and took notice of the bags in their hands. She assumed they held their dresses and everything else they needed to get ready. "Sorry to just pop in May, but we figured we could help each other get ready." May smiled. Girls sure do seem to think alike. Stepping aside to let the two girls in the hallway into her room, she once again closed the door behind her guests.

"Kelly, Solidad, this is Dawn. Dawn, this is Kelly and Solidad." May standing off to the side, let introductions take place. Solidad was the first to speak up. "Dawn. You were excellent in the Wallace Cup." Dawn had been slightly surprised, not because they saw it (considering they were obviously friends with May), but that the older girl had actually recognized her. Dawn had changed a fair bit. Her hair had only gotten a bit longer, but everything else seemed to be.. alot longer. She no longer sported her hat or miniskirt, instead she chose an outfit much better suited for traveling. A black tank top that looked alot like her old one, only its straps were thinner and the ends weren't ruffled. She wore dark blue jean capris and yellow flats, to match the same old hair clips in her hair. Her legs were alot more noticeable in her old traveling clothes to many men's eyes, but having guy's just hoping you tripped and fell in a miniskirt wasn't the kind of attention she wanted. Normally, she wore a jean vest over her shirt, but today was an exceptionally hot day considering autumn was fast approaching.

"T-Thank you. Unfortunately, I don't think I know you. Either of you, actually." With a chuckle, May decided to explain. "I met Solidad in the Kanto Grand Festival, and I met Kelly back in Hoenn." Not wanting things to get awkward, like situations similar to this fairly often did, Dawn just smiled. "May, I was going to say before, that maybe we should start getting ready now?" All girls let out a giddy squeal and tackled their bags. May kept her dress in her closet, and opted to keep it hidden until the last minute. Dawn held up her curling iron. "So who wants their hair curled?"

* * *

Wee? xD They'll finally see each other again in either the next chapter, or the one after that. c:  
Honestly, I have no idea what any of their outfits should look like. I know May's dress will be red though. Hmm. You can give me some suggestions and ideas if you want. 8D

Okay, and a new question for all you readers. Who should Dawn's date be. Paul, or Kenny? I don't have a preference between those two shippings, so I'll do what makes the most readers happy. c;


	6. Chapter 6

I'm **so** sorry about the delay.  
First it was because the votes between Paul and Kenny for Dawn's date was at a tie.  
Then it was because I had **no** idea what their dresses should look like.  
I feel horrible. ;c

Though this story is coming to a close I guess. I plan one or two more chapters.

* * *

An hour had passed, and anyone that had walked past room 416 had girlish giggles instantly fill their ears. Luckily, only a couple people had passed through that hall, so no one had filed any complaints for the noise. The past hour had been quite successful, alot being accomplished. All the girls were able to get their hair and makeup done just the way they wanted. Dawn had came up with the idea that they would each go and put their dresses on one at a time and come out of the connected bathroom and model for the other three girls. May insisted that she went last, and her friends had no problems with that.

Kelly headed into the bathroom first, her recently bought attire resting in the bag that her right hand gripped. Once the door shut Dawn faced May. "Kelly seems so nice. It's great that you were able to meet so many people and make friends with them." May silently agreed with a nod of her head, then turned her head to blow on her nails, hoping they would be completely dried before it was her turn to model her dress. "Yeah. I'm truly grateful for all of my friends." Dawn took the hint that May was sending her and smiled with pride. May suddenly remembered a question she had for her blue haired friend.

"Back at the Wallace Cup, you mentioned your mom was a famous Coordinator. So, is she here?" Dawn shook her head, but still kept that same prideful smile. "No. She actually helped plan out this entire reunion. She was obviously invited, but she just wasn't able to make it." May nodded in understanding and Dawn decided to carry on while they waited for the girl in the bathroom to emerge. "So.. back to the subject about dates. Does Kelly have one?"

"Actually.. I do." All three girls turned their heads toward the bathroom door, where Kelly stood winking at them. May and Solidad nodded in approval, since they had already seen the dress, and Dawn clapped obviously impressed with the ensemble.

Kelly stood there, slowly turning around to give her friends a full view. With her slow turning, her hair swayed running across her back. It was up in a ponytail, tied with a pink ribbon, bits of hair and her bangs left down to frame her face. Her dress was strapless, and went down to just about her knees. It was a black dress, that had a layer of purple sequins and sparkles covering it, ending with a pink bow in the back. She wore black nylons underneath. When they bought the dress, they were originally concerned that it may be too informal, but it had suited Kelly's tastes so much, they decided to throw their worries away. Being careful not to trip in her heels, which were black and tied in a bow just above her ankles, she stopped her spinning to wink at Solidad.

"Your turn!" Though the other two girls were still scanning over Kelly's outfit, Solidad had caught something they didn't. "Aren't you going to tell us who your date is?" Kelly began to blush slightly, realizing she should have though this through better. "Hah.." Now May and Dawn's attention was brought fully back to their friend's conversation and embarrassment. "Oh come on Kelly! Don't hold out on us." Dawn said, as she got up from the bed and walked over to the girl to elbow her in the side. "Alright. It's Timmy Grimm. No big deal, he asked me.. and I said yes." Kelly just tried to play it off as if it was nothing, though her previous display had proved otherwise. The rest of the girls decided to drop it, since Solidad had realized back on their shopping trip that they were going to go with each other. Dawn had no idea who Timmy Grimm was, and May was just happy for her friends.

"I guess I should go get dressed then." With that, Solidad grabbed a bag that sat at the foot of the bed and went into the bathroom. Once the door was closed, a silence fell over the room. Kelly didn't want to say anything that would bring the attention back onto her, and the other two girls were thinking about their dates; In May's case, her hopeful date-to-be. Before, May was nervous to see Drew again. But now, she was downright scared. So many possibly outcomes could come of seeing him this night, that she couldn't pinpoint the one that was most likely to happen.

Solidad emerged from the bathroom, stopping May from thinking anymore and from losing herself in her doubts. None of the girls in the room had seen Solidad's dress, and they were all in aww when they did. They knew, from looking at what the woman was wearing, that no one would have a dress like this one. The dress; It was a v-neck, and was sleeveless. It was tight at the top, almost corset like, and then flowed down a bit past the knees. The whole dress was a skintone color, also wearing tan heels to finish it up. At first glance, your eyes were automatically drawn to the red accessories she added. Like the single ruby that hung around her neck on a silver chain. She opted to leave her hair down, but it ran down in beautiful waves.

May decided to voice all of their own thoughts. "Solidad! That dress is absolutely stunning on you." Solidad's face seemed to brighten up a bit, as if she doubted if the dress was right for the occasion. "Thanks." Solidad smiled at the younger girls sitting before her. "Dawn, looks like you're up." The blue haired girl nodded and walked into the bathroom with a bounce in her step. Taking note of the bright and cheery mood of their friend, Kelly spoke up. "She sure seems excited. She must have some hot date tonight." May recalled what had occurred earlier when she had tried to ask. "Yeah, apparently.. But she didn't say who he was. Just that I would have to 'wait and see'." May sighed. Solidad chuckled.

"Okay! I'm done, ready?" Dawn hollered from inside the bathroom. All three girls yelled that they indeed were, and their friend ran into the room trying some dramatic entrance and nearly fell flat on her face. Once she regained her balance and composure, she plastered a smile on her face and spun around in a similar manner that Kelly had. May had suspected she would be adorn in a black, possibly a pink dress, but she was wrong.

Dawn wore a white sleeveless dress with thin straps, that had gold lines running down vertically and ended at the waist. There then was a midnight blue sash, that could be compared to her hair and eyes, around her waist. The dress continued to flare out until it got to around her ankles. You could see opened toe gold heels peeping out from the dress. She originally wasn't sure how she wanted to style her hair. She eventually decided to put it up like Kelly's, only with a gold ribbon, and didn't leave any hair to frame her face except for a few stubborn pieces.

"Ahh, Dawn! You look.. stunning!" Kelly ran over to Dawn and stood at arms length with an awed expression covering her face. Dawn blushed at the compliment. "Thanks Kelly. But I really want to see May's dress now. She did insist that she go last, it must be beautiful!" May laughed and headed to her closet and pulled out a garment bag that was hung up and turned to head into the bathroom. With an exhale of breath she went in and started to get changed.

-

Elsewhere in the hotel, there was a young man, who was hopelessly in love, that was struggling to keep his cool. He called out his first -and strongest- Pokemon. "Roserade.. why am I here? I haven't seen her yet, not even the slightest glance. This ball could be my last real chance.. and chances are.. if she's there, she'll have a date." A sad regretful smile happened onto his face. "A person as beautiful as she is, wouldn't appear at a ball without a date. It just.. wouldn't happen."

Roserade had been with her trainer since she was a Budew, and she has been there for every encounter and run-in with May. Roserade herself was a hopeless romantic, and she very much liked to boast about her ability to spot true love as it appeared. She was certain that the girl her trainer was pining for, thought about him as much as he thought about her. Knowing that words wouldn't move and persuade her trainer, she decided doing this would hopefully make the human standing in front of her realize what he had to do.

Drew looked down to his Pokemon, just waiting for her to respond. He called Roserade out of her pokeball because she always knew what to do, what was best for him. But she didn't say anything. Instead she held up her two bouquets as hands, and produced a single red rose. Drew grabbed the rose from the Pokemon and realization dawned onto him. "..Thanks Roserade." He let a kind smile escape. "I'll regret it if I don't atleast try, right?"

Fully clothed and resolved, the man returned his Pokemon and exited his hotel room. The ball was to take place at the newly remodeled Contest Hall, and Drew knew the doors wouldn't be opening for awhile yet. He thought it would be better to wait in the lobby of the hotel where he would have a better chance of spotting May than siting in his room where he would have none.

-

The bathroom door had finally opened, and out stepped a girl that instantly grabbed the attention of her three friends. It was so quiet, she started to fidget not yet sure if their silence was a good thing, or a bad. May had seemed to fix her hair up while she was in the bathroom, since she had had it down before she went in. She had pieces of hair on both sides of her face let loose, to frame it, as it led up into a bun. At the back of her head, there was a artificial red rose inserted in the bun.

The young woman's dress was such a beautiful shade of red, it simply made her sapphire eyes pop out. It was a sleeveless v-neck in the same manner as Solidad's, but no one could even compare the dresses as they suited the different girls as they were. Once your eyes were drawn to the waist and below, the dress seemed to sparkle. It all ended a bit below the knee, with black fishnet stockings on under that. May's opened-toed heels had laces that went up to her knee and tied into a bow, that was only noticeable when she spun and the dress lifted a bit.

Even though it didn't seem to match, May also wore a small emerald around her neck like Solidad's ruby. May vaguely remembered buying it at a shop in Petalburg shortly after she got home. She had bought it with money she had saved over the years, simply because it reminded her of him. Him. Drew Hayden. Cocky, rose-flinging, full-of-himself Drew. But still the boy that invaded her thoughts every night.

Once all the girls had fallen out of their stupor, they all just rushed over to May expressing all at once what they thought of their dress. Though May didn't quite catch everything they were saying, she did hear Dawn say something like; "Whoever this guy is that you plan on meeting up with, you're sure pulling out all the tricks you can." May blushed. But her friend as right. She did want to impress Drew. She was able to prove her ability as a Coordinator to him and herself, but everything had gone left unspoken about and unresolved. Things just seemed to be alot more complicated than they needed to be.

The girls were finally done getting ready, and decided they should head out now. Kelly had to meet up with Timmy. Dawn had to meet up with her mystery date. Solidad seemed to be meeting up with someone, though she hadn't said who. And May wanted the chance to actually look for a bright green mop of hair, since she hadn't actually gotten the chance to even look for him yet.

-

Drew was leaning against the wall of the lobby, facing the front doors. The lobby happened to be very crowded, and it was hard to spot someone if you were trying to pick them out in particular. Drew turned his head to the left by mere chance and had to do a double take when he saw the back of a woman's brown hair neatly done up. He rushed over to the girl and grabbed her shoulder, certain he found who he was looking for. "Ma-" Drew cut himself off as the girl standing before him stared back at him with questioning red eyes. "I-I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else." Though the girl had actually looked alot like May Maple, it wasn't her. Walking away to avoid further embarrassment, Drew felt his face heat up. 'I'm losing it.'

* * *

1. If you don't like their dresses, imagine your own. No big deal. I have no sense of style, and have never been to a formal event. xD  
2. Since I didn't introduce Dawn's date in this chapter, you can still tell me who you would prefer to be her date in a review. c:  
3. If you want me to give Solidad or Zoey a date, suggest one. ;D  
4. I know there are errors and typos, just point them out to me if you see any that stood out to you? :)  
5. The three year anniversary of my dad's death is in a few days. I don't plan on writing the next chapter during this time, because I get a bit depressed and I may end up killing off one of the characters if I do. xDD

So yeah. Sorry again for the delay. :c


	7. Chapter 7

Last chapter. Oh goodness. I seriously killed myself forcing myself to finish this today. xD

* * *

With all of her friends momentarily gone, May found herself at the entrance to the ball. The walk over was very short, only three minutes really. Yet some guys wanted to impress their date by using other means of transportation. Rapidash and Ponyta were the most noticeable from the bright flame that lit up against the darkening sky. May couldn't help but wish that she was flown over on a Flygon, gripping onto a handsomely dressed up green haired man so she wouldn't fall off.

May was forced to snap out of her daydream as she heard Dawn call out her name. Turning to look at her friend, she saw that she dragged a young man along with her. The first thing she noticed was the hesitation on the man's face. He looked like he would rather be anywhere than here. It was then that May remembered it was Dawn that asked this man here, and she wondered briefly if he truly wanted to escort her. Dawn could be pretty persistent.

The second thing she noticed was his attire. A dark purple button up shirt, black jacket, accompanied by black pants and black shoes. May figured he wasn't the type to go out of his way to rent a tux or anything.

"May, this is my date Paul. Paul, this is my friend May." Dawn turned her head to Paul, "She's the one I was talking about.". During the introduction, May had been paying close attention to Paul. When Dawn had introduce him as her date, a very small almost unnoticeable tint of pink painted his cheeks. May could barely hide her excitement, knowing this guy wanted to be here, if only to get closer to Dawn. "It's nice to meet you Paul!"

On the walk over, Paul had been told how important May's friendship was to Dawn. He decided he should be atleast a bit polite to her. Shaking the other girl's hand, he just nodded his head. May felt a bit disappointed by the lack of enthusiasm, but knew she couldn't expect everybody to be bubbly and happy all the time.

Sneaking away from her date, she grabbed May by the arm and pulled her away to a short distance. "Okay, so?" May was confused as to what her friend was questioning. Not receiving an answer, Dawn shook her head. "You know who my date is. So where's your mystery guy?" Looking around, May frowned. "Good question."

As more people started to pass through the doors, May began to lose hope. Kelly emerged from a small mob of people. "Hey, May, Dawn! Timmy went inside, you guys coming?" Both girls nodded their heads. Dawn grabbed onto Paul's hand and was once again dragging him, but he didn't seem to mind all that much.

-

Solidad was lurking around the hotel lobby. Her partner said that they would meet her here.. "Solidad hun! Yooo-hooo!" Solidad resisted the automatic urge to cringe and turned around with a full smile. "About time you showed up Harley." Harley's face suddenly turned serious.

"Sorry hun. I got sidetracked when I saw Drew. He's on his way to the ball now, and I think he's lost all hope. He just looks like a walking ghost!" With that comment Harley's face turned into that of one that resembled a gaping Magikarp, and Solidad laughed. "That's why we're going to make sure they meet up."

-

Thirty minutes had passed, and just about everyone had showed up, except maybe a few people that could had run into problems that cause a delay. Everyone's attention was brought up on the mini-stage where the orchestra would be playing for the rest of the night. Mr. Contesta stepped up to a microphone and started to speak.

"I want to thank everyone that came her to the reunion. It has been a great few days and we're glad that we were able to reignite old friendships and rivalries, along with starting new ones. I'll speak for everyone on the Contest committee and just keep this short by saying to have a great time tonight and we'll see you all again hopefully at the start of the new contest season." A loud applause sounded throughout the room and then the music started up.

Some girls rushed to get the center of the floor, grabbing their dates and starting to dance. (Dawn was one of these girls.) Some guys had to take the lead, since their dates seemed to be a bit shy and flustered. (Timmy was one of these guys.) Then there was just others who sat at white clothed tables sitting with their date or a group of friends.

Solidad and Harley stood near the entrance, surveying what needed to be done. May was by herself, nervously shuffling her feet and glancing around now and then. Drew was also by himself but he just sat like a statue looking out at nothing in particular. The two matchmakers nodded at each other and headed off to make things right.

Harley walked over to May, this being the first time she has seen him since the Johto Grand Festival. "May doll! Solidad told me you were here!" May only had a short moment to take notice of who was talking to her and the fact that his enthusiasm hasn't wavered in the slightest after the last few years. Before she had a chance to open her mouth, Harley seized May in a huge hug.

"Eh.. Harley! Can't.. breath!" Harley kept May in his embrace and then spun her in a circle. "What was that, my little gingerbread cookie? You want to dance? Sure!" May was confused and couldn't figure out what game Harley was trying to play. "What? I didn't say anything about-" May was cut off as Harley force her into the center of all the dancing couples.

When May took a moment to evaluate her situation, she realize that people were staring. Then she realized why. Though a slow song was playing, Harley had dragged May out and he himself was just moving around clearly out of rhythm. Whatever he was doing, it clearly was more well suited for a high tempo song.

May quickly grabbed his hands and guided them to her waist. She decided if she was stuck in this uncomfortable situation she might as well make it better. To start, she would get people to stop looking at them.

"Harley. If we're going to dance, we'll do it right." She raised her hands to his shoulders and they fell into rhythm with the other dancing couples. She let out a sigh of relief when people turned their focus back onto the people they were dancing with. "Well, it's nice to see you too Harley." Though her tone was filled with sarcasm, they both smiled.

-

"Solidadddd!" Drew drawled out. "I said that I didn't want to dance." Solidad just quickly turned her face into a 'We're going to dance, no ifs-ands-or-buts' face and Drew sighed. He allowed himself to be lead towards the group of dancing people, and then he placed his hands on her hips, and hers over his shoulders. Drew felt rather embarrassed by this, as Solidad was still a few inches taller than he was.

The song ended and Drew was about to pull away, when Solidad insisted they keep dancing. "One more dance won't kill you, you know." Drew shook his head. He briefly wondered why Solidad didn't bring herself a date that she could pester.

Drew was oblivious to the fact that Solidad kept looking behind him, as she twitched her neck as a signal for Harley to drag May in that direction. Harley, who was currently catching up with his former enemy, noticed the signal and started to dance May in that direction. "Harley, what are you doing?" May was suspicious of Harley's behavior. "I just think I see Solidad.. let's get a closer look, okay?" Harley winked at May and she just nodded dumbly.

As soon as May and Drew were just about back-to back both of the older Coordinators nodded.

"Hey Solidad, think I could steal you away for a dance?" Harley called over May and Drew's head. Solidad looked at Drew as if asking if it was okay. He shrugged, not really caring. Solidad nodded at Harley and then looked at Drew again. "And maybe you could dance with Harley's partner for the rest of the song?" Drew was about to object but Solidad had one of those looks on her face again. He just nodded and the two older Coordinators made a fast get away, awaking more suspicion in May and Drew.

The two awkwardly turned around to face their new dance partner, and got the shock of their lives. Drew was gaping, and May was stunned speechless. They didn't even think about the fact that Harley and Solidad just set them up. May was so nervous, but her newly awakened Coordinator extincts kicked in, telling her she had to think on her feet. "Aren't you going to ask me to dance?"

Drew smirked and took up the same position Harley had been in earlier. Seeing that smirk, May's knees nearly gave out under her. They both didn't know what to say, or how to act. But they both wanted to act confident and sure of themselves. May fought to keep herself from panicking and running from all this all together.

Drew could sense May's nervousness by the fact that she was shaking and avoiding eye contact with him, so he set out to start a conversation. "So.. It's been awhile.." He wanted to slap himself. Because yeah, when he dreamed about this moment he said the most obvious and stupid things. But May appreciated the topic nonetheless. "Yeah, three years. But I guess that would be my fault."

Drew knew where this conversation would go if he didn't turn it around now. "It's not your fault your dad had a heart attack." May looked up at Drew in shock. His piercing green eyes seemed to soothe her and she let a small blush escape. "Most people didn't know the reason for my absence." In truth, the Pokemon League had fought to keep the media from pestering the family and making some huge story about the incident. Drew had run into Ash by mere chance only a few months after the Grand Festival, Ash said he was visiting someone in LaRousse. Drew had coolly asked if Ash knew which region May was planning to compete in next, and that was when Ash told him what happened.

It appeared Ash didn't mention that to May, so Drew decided to play it cool. "May, give me a little more credit than that. What kind of rival would I be if I didn't keep up to date with my own rivals?" They both suddenly frowned. Rivals, that they were. But they both had gone too long wishing for the day to confess to the other.. neither would let that chance slip pass again.

The song ended and an upbeat song started to play. The both stepped apart and missed the feeling of the others hands on them. Drew suddenly looked at May with a startling confidence. "Go for a walk with me?" Even though it was a question, May didn't feel the need to answer. She just took the hand he held out in front of her and let him lead the way. '_Oh please don't let me trip in these heels.._'

-

"It's a nice night." May looked up at the sound of his voice. She wasn't really paying attention to the conditions of the whether, and neither of them seemed to notice that they seemed to be heading back towards the hotel. May just though he looked incredibly handsome, and she just couldn't believe how much he had grown up. His attire quickly reminded her of Paul's, since the majority of the guys seemed to wear a tuxedo, but neither of these guys did. Drew had just wore a white button up long sleeved shirt (with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows) with a dark green tie, dark green pants, and gray shoes.

She quickly adverted her eyes to the full moon and silently agreed that it was a nice night. Drew sighed and seemed to be quite stressed about something. He stopped walking and turned to face May, and she in turn did the same. "..What are we doing? It may have been fine to play these games back then, but now?" May knew all too well of what he meant, but didn't know how to answer other than, "What do you mean?".

Drew knew she understood, by the way she quickly looked towards the ground. He suddenly found it hard to explain what he was feeling. Then he remembered what Roserade had done for him earlier. Trying to inconspicuously search through his pockets, he was relieved to find the rose from earlier.. and that it wasn't damaged.

Thrusting the rose in the unsuspecting girl's face, as he had done so many times in the past, she jumped back in surprise. "Whaa-" She took the rose from his hand, and tried to keep her voice steady. "What's this for?" He stared at her like it should be obvious.

"It's for you." She stared at him dumbfounded. "That's my point May. The rose is_ for you_. Not your Pokemon, _for you_. They always have been." May nodded, though it felt like a dream. But if Drew was going to put him self out there, then she should make an effort too.

"I always knew the roses were for me, but I had always dreamed about the day you would give me a rose and be able to tell me yourself. And now that you have.." Both Coordinators looked at each other unsure. Drew sighed. "How about you let me walk you back to your room, and tomorrow I'd love to tell you about this new region I heard about, the contest season will be starting soon.." His sentence drifted off as May nodded happy with what had been accomplished that night, even if they didn't go that deep into their feelings yet.

They walked hand-in-hand for the rest of the short distance. Past the receptionist, through the lobby, and up the stairs. May stopped at room 416 and looked at Drew. "Okay, so I'll see you tomor-" With a new confidence May had leaned in and kissed Drew, expecting to steal a quick kiss and run into her room. Instead, Drew had different plans and held onto her, not letting her move at all.

Backing her up against the door, May fumbled for her key that she kept in a small purse that had gone unnoticed until now. Once she found it she tried to multitask with trying to blindly unlock her door, and running her free hand through his hair. She was able to miraculously unlock the door, opening it and pulled Drew inside. Her purse thrown somewhere in the general direction of the bathroom, and the door to room 416 slammed shut.

See. I told you from the start that this story would have a happy ending. But you can think up your own ending to this night, I'm not going to be the pervert that watches them just so I have a story to tell.

-

Dawn and Kelly had just gotten off the dance floor, after a good seven songs of nonstop dancing with their dates. Paul and Timmy quickly made an excuse to get something to drink, in fear that they would be forced to dance some more. The two girls approached Solidad who was laughing with Harley about something. "Hey Solidad, where did May go?" Dawn really wanted to meet this mystery guy. Solidad took one look at both the girls and her laughter came back times two.

* * *

Woo. Okay. My first story is now complete. :D

I wasn't that satisfied with this final chapter, and if you weren't either.. sorry. :c

As you can see. Paul won the votes. But he hardly had a part in this story at all. Which is the opposite of what I originally planned.. x_x;

I'm currently writing another multi-chapter fic right now. It's Contestshipping + Ikarishipping, and it's Halloween inspired. I also have a Egoshipping oneshot that I'm writing for Halloween.

So uh. Review if you want. c: Thanks again for all the support from everyone! :D


End file.
